Hearing Loss

Causes for hearing Loss:

• High Volume (Sound Pressure Level / Decibels)

  • 85 dB+ for long periods = risky
    • (e.g., loud traffic, hair dryers, busy restaurants)
  • 100+ dB for short bursts = damaging
    • (e.g., concerts, clubs, power tools, headphones at max)

• If they’re forced to vibrate too hard or too often, they bend, break, and die — permanently

• Duration of Exposure

Volume	Safe Listening Time
85 dB	~8 hours
95 dB	~1 hour
105 dB	~5 minutes

• Headphones

  • No air to diffuse the pressure, so inner ear takes the full hit
  • People often turn them up to overcome noise, increasing risk

• Acoustic trauma: Explosions, gunshots, firecrackers (>120–140 dB)

The inner ear hair cells (in the cochlea) vibrate to detect sound

• Tinnitus (ringing) can be an early sign of damage.
• Poor recovery time between exposures increases risk.

Risk Mitigation

Use speakers when possible

Avoid Cotton Swabs

• Don't push wax in; it can damage your eardrum or canal.

Let Ears Recover

• After loud exposure, give your ears 12-24 hours of quiet.

Use vented or high-fidelity earplugs (like Loop, Etymotic, or Alpine) — they reduce harmful sound without totally muting your environment.